Ohio Farm Bureau's Keith Stimpert & Joe Cornely discuss the background of Issue 2, the Livestock Care Standards Board, & the implications of the latest actions of the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) in Ohio.

Members of OFBF’s AgriPOWER Institute, an intensive leadership program designed to produce future agricultural leaders, took a close look at Washington politics during a recent trip to the nation’s capitol.

SWCD funding was significantly cut last year to balance the state’s budget. Language in Senate Bill 155 directs a portion of the state’s existing fee on the sale of new tires to help restore funding to local SWCDs.

Arkansas Democratic Sen. Blanche Lincoln’s support for a resolution to disapprove the Environmental Protection Agency’s effort to regulate greenhouse gases under the Clean Air Act could not have come at a better time and reflects true bipartisan concern, according to AFBF President Bob Stallman.

The Ohio Livestock Coalition will hold its 13th Annual Meeting and Industry Symposium on April 8 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the All Occasions Catering and Banquet Center in Waldo. The symposium will feature four speakers who will cover a variety of topics and issues facing animal agriculture.

Ohioans will be voting in May whether to expand funding for a program that has created jobs through investment in research and development of new technologies, including advanced projects involving agriculture.

With 125 yards of fleece and more than 7,000 knots, the Wyandot Wranglers Farm Bureau Youth has put Warmth Where Needed in Wyandot County. Members of the group made 25 fleece blankets that were donated to the county sheriff's department to be given to children and adults who could use the warmth and comfort of a blanket.

Think of your credit report as a report card and your credit score as the grade that indicates how you’ve handled your bills in the past. Getting high marks is important. After all, lenders use your credit (or “FICO”) score to set rates for loans and credit cards. Insurers use it when determining rates on some policies. And some employers even check it when screening employees.

Young people ages 18 to 35 who work in Ohio agriculture are invited to join OFBF’s Young Agricultural Professionals for a weekend of personal and professional development during the group’s Leadership Conference March 12 to 13 in Dublin. The theme is “Be an ‘Agvocate’: Speak Up for Agriculture.”

Ohio Democratic Governor Ted Strickland and his GOP rival candidate John Kasich both declared their opposition to a ballot measure being planned by the out-of-state activist organization the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS).

The Ohio Sheep Improvement Association (OSIA) recently received recognition by the American Sheep Industry (ASI) for having the largest increase in membership among 25 state associations with dues of more than $2,000.

Many farmers aren’t happy with the move of the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) to overturn the will of Ohio voters. Neither are Gov. Ted Strickland and his 2010 Republican gubernatorial opponent John Kasich.

Ohio’s acceptance of more than $8 billion in federal stimulus money is “not only wise, it’s appropriate,” said Chris Redfern, chairman of the Ohio Democratic Party. But Kevin DeWine, chairman of the Ohio Republican Party, disagreed, saying that it does not solve the state’s future budget shortfalls.

The saying in politics is that if you’re explaining, you’re losing. As the grassroots uprising mounts against the Humane Society of the United States, the group is finding it has a lot of explaining to do.

Progress toward establishing the Ohio Livestock Care Standards Board will be discussed this week on Town Hall Ohio. Additionally, efforts by out-of-state animal rights activists to take over the Care Board's duties will be explained.